u/dasheekeejones

I do love my Forester Limited and wanted to get a third one. This 2018 I want to give to my son to drive (18) and then get a new one for myself. However, I'm starting to wonder if a Forester is a wise choice anymore.

My first one, 2009, Premium, was great until about 100k miles, when the oil was leaking somehow and couldn't be fixed. i guess maybe a recall/known issue? But the dealer tried fixing it 3x, and it couldn't be fixed, so they gave me a spectacular trade-in and a new 2018 Forester.

But here's the issue. i already put $6k into this car. was rarely driven, paid off 2 years ago, and it only had 80k miles on it until he started driving and working. all 4 wheel bearings went. some chain/pulley thing (sorry i don't remember; i know it was near the belts), my splash shield decided to come loose while driving on the expressway and dragged across at 75mph until i put tons of flex tape to fix. The trunk hydraulic arms busted. Auto sensor for trunk liftgate broke (leaving it). moonroof had to be replaced for a leak. Of course, maintenance things like battery, spark plugs, air conditioner freon. i just changed out my cvt fluid at 95k miles. now it occassionally has acceleration issues but the rpm does move at least when i floor it to pass. it just doesn't zoom like it used to/should and the dealer couldn't find what was wrong.

I'm going to take it to a Subaru specialist to get an inspection to see what major things might break soon (in 2 years). we only have 1 car and i need the car for my job so we share it. And of course, 1 car does suck, but I can't afford to get another right now. I am looking to see what is out there and what to do.

I was researching, and it seems that Toyotas last longer than Subarus. I'm debating either getting a RAV4 for myself (1-2 years old) or an older, cheaper Camry that can be his eventually when I can afford to get my own RAV4.

So are Subarus known to have multiple issues once 100k mi hit? i can't really compare it to my first one since that was a major oil issue that wasn't worth fixing and i got a good deal. I keep cars until catastrophic issues, so I want something that will last, esp for my son. i love that subarus give you everything in the cost depending on model and they are affordable. and of course esp for my adhd son, the safety of it. if i switch models, i need ALL safty features such as lane passing, blind spot, etc. beeps just to be sure. he's not a danger but i also drove with him during his permit and see that he definately needs these reminders. plus he's 18 and a new driver.

how long did your subaru last where it wasn't a money pit. i think $6k in a year and a half is a lot to put into a car and i'm afraid if it's going to start to keep having major things break.

thoughts?